There is no good way to spin yesterday’s Cardinal’s game. It was one of those games where it was apparent to everyone it was over from an early point. That point was somewhere in the first quarter. Colt McCoy had his second turnover and Cam Newton accounted for his second touchdown. From that point forward, viewership belonged to the desperately hopeful and fans with a glutton for pain.
Unfortunately for fans, the first quarter was the defining place of the game. The Cardinals first possessions consisted up a sack fumble from our old friend, Haason Reddick, a failed QB sneak on fourth down, and an unwarranted interception. Next thing you know, Cam Newton had two touchdowns, Zane Gonzales nailed a field goal, and the Cardinals are down 17-0. The team did the opposite of what their winning formula had been. They succeed by getting ahead early and forcing the other team to throw the ball.
Instead, they fell behind and the spark and shine that Colt McCoy had against the 49ers had thoroughly worn off. The appreciation of Kyler Murray was at an all-time high. The team was clearly missing the dynamic showmanship of Kyler and the reliability of Deandre Hopkins. Not only for the relief they provide to the run game, but the lift they provide. The spark of Cam Newton was something clearly missing from the Cardinals sideline. The team looked flat out on the field and unable to rise u to the level of the Panthers. That was just the offense.
Christian McCaffrey carved up the Cardinals on the defensive side of the ball. The running back was seemingly wide open as a receiver and ran untouched on every carry. The game plan to make a backup quarterback in his 7th career NFL game have to beat the Cardinals did not happen. In turn, the Cardinals had their main bugaboo of the season rear its head again, the run defense.
There seems to be a constant in the games that the defense is able to stop the run. Games where the offense spots a quick lead to the defense and takes the run game away from the opposing team. Fans saw this against the 49ers, the Titans, and the Browns. We have also seen what can happen when a team can use their run game against the defense. This resulted in big running back games for the Vikings, Packers, and the Panthers.
We still have not reached a point where it is time to panic. With the Rams loss to the 49ers on Monday Night Football, the Cardinals still lead the NFC West and are 2nd in the NFC. They have a bye-week coming up after a game against a defeated Seahawks team. Most importantly, the team should be getting back to full strength. Hopefully, it is just in time for their last 6 games of the season and hopefully a long playoff run.
I’m still not worried about this team, but with a loss to a reeling Seahawks team that’s 3 losses in their last 4 games. Adding fuel to the fire that Kliff Kingsbury teams fade in the second half of seasons. Also, harkening back to the horrible end to last season as the Cardinals controlled their own destiny and failed to capture the magic. This team feels different to me, but one thing is certain, we need Kyler Murray out there to be the Superstar and MVP candidate he is.